1. Field
Aspects of the present invention relate to a track system, including the devices and structures incorporated therein, and the installation and methods of use thereof, for the movement of persons and/or payloads over a specified course.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many track systems exist for the transport of people and/or payloads for recreation, science and/or commercial endeavors. In particular, track systems, such as roller coasters, mountain coasters, and tramways, for example, and cable systems such as zip lines, ski lifts, and rope pulleys, exist for moving people and/or payloads over distinct distances and terrains.
Although the track systems may be designed to be multidirectional, the infrastructure required to support the rigid installation is often costly and has a significant impact on the environment. On the other hand, although cable systems may be cheaper to install, maintain and operate, cable systems lack the ability to be completely multidirectional, wherein a user may experience ascents, descents, and/or left and right turns in any combination without having to disengage from the main cable system. For example, the cables in such cable systems, such as those typically used in recreational canopy tours and rope courses, often have to be set at an angle so there is a level difference between the start and end points so that the body weight of the user under the effect of gravity serves as the driving force. The user often hangs from the cable through a pulley to which he is attached using straps, hooks and a harness. These methods are inconvenient because they can only be used one way (i.e., downwards) and there may be no real control of the speed. In addition, the cables are limited to the length of distance between two tie-off points and/or the limits of safe cable spans. As such, the user must stop at various points of cable anchorage, which may be fitted with a platform, for example, remove his weight from the cable, separate himself from the pulley and/or cable, and then re-attach again to another pulley and/or cable in order to be able to continue on his descending tour.
There exists a need for a transport system that provides the benefits of a cable system with the multidirectional aspects of a track system, one which does not require the rigid infrastructure of conventional track systems yet permits ascending, descending, leftward and/or rightward movement along a predesigned pathway without having to disengage the user and/or payload from the cable or track in order to do so. Furthermore, there is a need to provide a track system that allows users the ability to switch unassisted and safely between a choice of different track pathways while remaining continuously connected to the track system.